New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
plCJFIC ISLANDS,

.
cANN,pAIs AND CONyICrs Notes Of Personal Ex-
percncesfn the Western Pacific BY JULIAN THoNAS
SyO., pp XVI. 4OS. Casscli q Co.
Mr. Thomas is an adventurous American VINO
nxed his home some years ago In Australia ana
became connected with the colonial press. In
the service Of one another newspaper he MADE
many interesting voyages among the racine
Islands, visiting the French PENAL establishment
IN New Caledonia, accompanying french en-
pcditon against the insurgent savages OF thaC
colony in 1878, investigating the "laoor q"eS
ton in the New -HcbIides and the hvaIry OIL
France and England for the possession of that
group and picking up great deal OF fn'eres.ins
information about the character and condition
of the natives and the measure in which they
have been improved by contact with commerce
and civilization His book consists principally
OF a compilation of his newspaper letters ana mas
therefore the advantage Of recording 1resh iii
nrcssions and the disadvantage OF leaving SONIC
what vague to the distant reader many staoe
mcnts and descriptions which must nave pceh
perfcctly clear to Australians. lie writes III al
easv familiar self-confdcnt style, with good
deal of personal detail, and the air OF an intel
lirent and enterprising fellow who might DC
pleasant company on q tramp or voyage. Ills
account of convict life in New -Calcdoma is
meagre and the PARTICULARS must be gathered
one by one from the fourteen OF fifteen chapters
among which they are scattered. We infer from
his statements that the physical condition Of
the convicts is not unduly hard, but he writes
severely of the French administrative methods,
the scandalous treatment of the natives, and the
misconduct of French officers toward women
The privileged convicts are allowed wives Sc
lccted from the prisons of Paris. Mr. Thomas
was on board transport which had DrouSht
out sixty healthy young women, mosb Oh lheih
murderesses to be disposed of in this manner.
What sort of progeny is likely to result from
such galley marriages IL is easy TO imagine. The
state of things in the penitsncers dgr7coics,
where the so-caled gOod-cOnduct men are allowed
considerable liberty, is as bad as that OF the
Cities Of the Plain. There are Catholic mis-
siOnaries on the islands, but they labor under
great disadvantages owing to the marked dis
dain with which they treated by the Of
Gcials.
In the New-Hebridcs GROUP the authors ex-
plorations had a particular spice OF interest be-
cause there the lives Of white men are highly
insecure and cannibalism is still practised with
more or less secrecy only little distance from
the coast Mr.. Thomas was concerned espe-
cially with the manner Of recruiting laborcrS
for Australia, under three years contract,
business which has been rOundly denounced
as a mere modification Of the slave trade. Our
author obtained passage on labor vessel from
the New -Hebrid,s to Queensland, and describes
the method Of collecting the recruits and their
treatment on the voyage. They ship Willingly,
and on the whole are not ill-trcated, although
the men and allowed to mnglc as
they please and the Government regulations
are habitually disrcgarded. The Protestant mis-
sionarics Of the New Hebriles regard the labor
traders with an adherence which it is not diff
cult to account for. Mr.. Thomas is wholly on
the side of the traders, and he speaks of the
missionaries with a prejudice which evidently
impairs his judgment One of the best known
and most holly criticised CT the local labor
traders is an American named Proctor, Con
federate captain who lost leg at Chancellors-
Vile, and in spite of his disability is an active
and excellent sailor. Mr.. Thomas gives him a
high character. Certainly If the French should
succeed in their scheme Of occupying the New
lIebrides and making them place of deportation
for irreclamable criminals the missionaries would
see reason enough To regret the mitigated evils |
of the present day